By BEN CAMERON
AN OFFICER man who claims to have been poisoned by an orange plume which hovered above his property 18 months ago has called on Cardinia Shire Council to allow government agencies to inspect his property.
Ronald Thompson has asked the council to lobby the Environmental Protection Agency to also peruse medical test results which he claims show he has been affected by the toxic plume or cloud.
However he was reluctant to provide details of what he was poisoned with until further results of medical tests are known in coming weeks.
He said between 6pm and 7pm on 28 December he was visited by a “once-off event” when an approximately 50 metre wide “orange plume or cloud” hovered above him, his daughter and a friend.
“It was a beautiful evening,” he said.
“We were just having a quiet afternoon with a couple of drinks.
“It wasn’t until my friend started sneezing and her mouth started swelling up and we looked up and we saw an orange plume.
“It was only until six weeks later we began to be terribly ill.
“We eventually realised our symptoms were identical and we’d be poisoned by this plume.”
He said there was no doubt the plume was the cause of his health concerns.
“I’ve been vomiting for 10 months,” he said.
“I need a government body to come out and say ‘you’ll be fine, Ron’, that’s all I want. A bit of peace of mind.
“There has been no testing whatsoever, nobody with any skills have come out to our properties.”
Mr Thompson said the past 12 months have not only been stressful but also a financial drain.
“If I wouldn’t have spent 60 to $80,000 on tests, and lost income, if it hasn’t cost me $250,000 I’ll go he, in order just to find my health back again,” he said.
“If I’d had a normal nine-to-five job, luckily I’m the boss where I work and can take it a bit easy on myself, I wouldn’t have held my job last year, I’ve been to so many doctors. I’ve been like a pin cushion.
“I’ve been to like seven GPs, two gastro doctors, two infectious diseases doctors, two naturopaths, a herbalist, everything but fish slappers, basically.
“It wasn’t until we saw the holistic doctor that the whole picture could be put together.”
He said his entire body had been affected.
“It’s not that one organ has been smashed down totally, it’s affected the whole body,” he said.
“Fatigue has been a huge side effect, weight loss. I was about 105kg and I got down to about 98.
“My daughter got down to under 50, she was diagnosed with anorexia.
“She lost about 25kg.
“It’s the weirdest sensation to have your whole body beaten down at once with toxins and not know what they are.”
He first contacted the council in June last year but was dissatisfied with its response.
Council Manager Policy and Governance Doug Evans told Mr Thompson at a council meeting last month that he would arrange another meeting soon.
“We will see what we can do to further assist you,” Mr Evans said.
